EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (KCCI) – With the start of another week of school, one 88-year-old Iowa teacher and basketball coach is back with his students for another year of teaching.
Jerry Becker greeted his kids during the first period of college-level American History Monday morning at Eagle Grove High School.
The students all note that their teacher seems to know what he’s talking about, considering he has taught for 65 years.
Even at his age, Becker still gets up every morning to go to school to give important lessons on history and also on life to his grateful students.
Student Will Batterton said he has learned a lot from Becker. He’s not alone, as generation after generation has passed through Becker’s classroom.
In some cases, having Becker as a teacher has become a family tradition.
Many of Becker’s former students said the younger generations are lucky to still have him as a teacher.
After the second period, Becker says goodbye to his students and packs up for the day. But his day, however, is far from over.
Becker is also known as a referee, keeping up with middle school girls as they run up and down the school gymnasium’s basketball court.
Staying in shape seems to be paying off for Becker along with the nearly seven decades of experience.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association has confirmed that Becker is the oldest active official in any high school sport in the state.
If that wasn’t enough, he is also called Coach Becker.
Dozens of trophies, plaques and photos of Becker’s coaching career sit next to the gym.
Becker said he has no plans to stop doing what he loves any time soon and has never worked a day in his life.
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